Moonshine
Moderator: Jon O'Neill
- Phil Reynolds
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3329
- Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:43 pm
- Location: Leamington Spa, UK
Moonshine
Sometimes, a memory is more than mere recollection. A really potent memory can enable you to relive - to re-experience - something that happened a long time ago, as if you've travelled back in time.
As I write these words, it's coming up to 1am on July 21st. At this moment, 40 years ago, I was asleep at home. Not surprising, given that I was eight years old; but, unusually, I was sleeping not in my bedroom, but on the sofa in our living room. The lunar module Eagle had touched down on the surface of the moon a little after 9pm the previous evening, and at around 4am Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were due to leave their craft and become the first men to walk on the surface of another world. Knowing how much it meant to me, my parents gave permission for me to watch this historic moment live on TV; but I needed an alarm clock to wake me at 3:30, which (had it gone off in my room) would have woken everyone else in the house too. Hence the sofa.
I've always felt privileged to have been alive in those times, to have been able to witness those events as they unfolded. Those men were heroes to me then, and that achievement is still unparalleled in human history. Watching some of the commemorative programmes on TV tonight - particularly the dramatised reconstruction Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 on ITV - has been an emotional experience. For a while, it's been like being eight years old again.
Just felt like sharing that. Over and out.
As I write these words, it's coming up to 1am on July 21st. At this moment, 40 years ago, I was asleep at home. Not surprising, given that I was eight years old; but, unusually, I was sleeping not in my bedroom, but on the sofa in our living room. The lunar module Eagle had touched down on the surface of the moon a little after 9pm the previous evening, and at around 4am Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were due to leave their craft and become the first men to walk on the surface of another world. Knowing how much it meant to me, my parents gave permission for me to watch this historic moment live on TV; but I needed an alarm clock to wake me at 3:30, which (had it gone off in my room) would have woken everyone else in the house too. Hence the sofa.
I've always felt privileged to have been alive in those times, to have been able to witness those events as they unfolded. Those men were heroes to me then, and that achievement is still unparalleled in human history. Watching some of the commemorative programmes on TV tonight - particularly the dramatised reconstruction Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 on ITV - has been an emotional experience. For a while, it's been like being eight years old again.
Just felt like sharing that. Over and out.
- sarah white
- Newbie
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:29 pm
- Location: Nottinghamshire
Re: Moonshine
Before i go to bed, just wanted to say i liked your post. I often wish that, had the success and advancement continued, i would now be able to enjoy space travel (of a sort!) for real, instead of losing myself in Clarke, Asimov, Bradbury, et al.
Re: Moonshine
I don't know about anyone else, but I'd like to hear George Jenkins' memories of that historic day. Probably including how he intervened at the last moment to fix something which otherwise would have meant the failure of the mission.
-
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1267
- Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:57 pm
Re: Moonshine
I'd just finished university. I stayed up to watch. Sometime in the long hours while we waited for American prime-time to begin, I fell asleep. When I woke Armstrong had already got down the steps, or so they said - I couldn't make head nor tail of the pictures.
I don't know why, but everyone seems to have better memories of this sort of thing than I do.
I don't know why, but everyone seems to have better memories of this sort of thing than I do.
- Phil Reynolds
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3329
- Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:43 pm
- Location: Leamington Spa, UK
Re: Moonshine
Armstrong's first steps on the lunar surface were transmitted back to Earth by a slow-scan (narrowband) camera attached to the side of the Eagle. According to Wikipedia, because this system was incompatible with commercial broadcast TV, it had to be displayed on a special monitor and reshot for the live transmissions by a conventional TV camera, reducing the already modest quality of the images considerably.David Williams wrote:When I woke Armstrong had already got down the steps, or so they said - I couldn't make head nor tail of the pictures.
- Clive Brooker
- Devotee
- Posts: 505
- Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:37 pm
- Location: San Toy
Re: Moonshine
Strangely, it was the previous year's Apollo 8 which made the biggest impression on me (aged 8). Leaving the Earth to orbit the Moon was way beyond anything that had happened before, and once that was accomplished there didn't seem any doubt that the landing would happen soon.
-
- Series 58 Champion
- Posts: 2010
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:27 pm
- Location: Cardiff
Re: Moonshine
You have all been deceived: the moon landings were faked and Richard Brittain can prove it.
-
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 6308
- Joined: Wed May 20, 2009 3:37 pm
Re: Moonshine
I wonder if a powerful telescope could prove the moon landings were real cos the footage is shit and NASA have conveniently lost the original footageDavid O'Donnell wrote:You have all been deceived: the moon landings were faked and Richard Brittain can prove it.
GR MSL GNDT MSS NGVWL SRND NNLYC NNCT
-
- Series 80 Champion
- Posts: 2707
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:07 am
- Location: Sheffield
Re: Moonshine
Reminds me of best joke everDavid O'Donnell wrote:You have all been deceived: the moon landings were faked and Richard Brittain can prove it.
- George Jenkins
- Enthusiast
- Posts: 337
- Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:55 am
Re: Moonshine
Sorry Jon, rocket science is a lamentable gap in the vast range of knowledge which I'm sure I use to have, if only I could remember. I'm sure that the rocket people might have called for my advice, but I can't remember if they did. Nowadays, I have to refer to the newspaper to ascertain what day of the week it is. As an example, I said only yesterday to my dear Wife, "I've got to send a cheque for the house insurance". And she replied, "You've already sent it last week, you dopy sod".Jon Corby wrote:I don't know about anyone else, but I'd like to hear George Jenkins' memories of that historic day. Probably including how he intervened at the last moment to fix something which otherwise would have meant the failure of the mission.
- Richard Brittain
- Series Champ
- Posts: 399
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 9:11 pm
- Location: Belgium
- Ben Wilson
- Legend
- Posts: 4546
- Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 5:05 pm
- Location: North Hykeham
Re: Moonshine
Richard Brittain wrote:
-
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 6308
- Joined: Wed May 20, 2009 3:37 pm
Re: Moonshine
After the picture interlude, I just wanted to recommend the new film out called Moon
I thoroughly enjoyed it, easily the most original Sci-Fi movie made this year
I thoroughly enjoyed it, easily the most original Sci-Fi movie made this year
GR MSL GNDT MSS NGVWL SRND NNLYC NNCT
- Phil Reynolds
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3329
- Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:43 pm
- Location: Leamington Spa, UK
Re: Moonshine
So much for a picture being worth a thousand words. Anyone care to hazard a guess as to what that was all about?Richard Brittain wrote:[nothing]
-
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 6308
- Joined: Wed May 20, 2009 3:37 pm
Re: Moonshine
I couldn't fathom it but for some reason I kept thinking of Jews in space as a good movie titlePhil Reynolds wrote:So much for a picture being worth a thousand words. Anyone care to hazard a guess as to what that was all about?Richard Brittain wrote:[nothing]
GR MSL GNDT MSS NGVWL SRND NNLYC NNCT
- Phil Reynolds
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3329
- Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:43 pm
- Location: Leamington Spa, UK
Re: Moonshine
Been done.Marc Meakin wrote:I couldn't fathom it but for some reason I kept thinking of Jews in space as a good movie title
- Charlie Reams
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9494
- Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:33 pm
- Location: Cambridge
- Contact:
-
- Devotee
- Posts: 876
- Joined: Thu May 22, 2008 4:08 pm
- Location: Eastbourne
Re: Moonshine
Is that meant to be a creepy deformed Charlie?Richard Brittain wrote:
And it has Kaya Scodelario (Effy from Skins) in it innit.Marc Meakin wrote:After the picture interlude, I just wanted to recommend the new film out called Moon
I thoroughly enjoyed it, easily the most original Sci-Fi movie made this year
Re: Moonshine
I went to see it with The Waterboys, but they had to leave early to pick their mum up from Asda, so they missed the end.Marc Meakin wrote:After the picture interlude, I just wanted to recommend the new film out called Moon
I thoroughly enjoyed it, easily the most original Sci-Fi movie made this year
True story. They wrote a song about it.
- Phil Reynolds
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3329
- Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:43 pm
- Location: Leamington Spa, UK
Re: Moonshine
Were you also with them when they missed their local amateur operatic society's production of Lerner & Loewe's classic musical Brigadoon in similar circumstances?Jon Corby wrote:I went to see it with The Waterboys, but they had to leave early to pick their mum up from Asda, so they missed the end.Marc Meakin wrote:I just wanted to recommend the new film out called Moon
True story. They wrote a song about it.
- Brian Moore
- Devotee
- Posts: 582
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:11 pm
- Location: Exeter
Re: Moonshine
Or Brigabloodydoon, if you're into tmesis and dislike the show as much as I do. I'd rather do a Full Monty anyday.Phil Reynolds wrote:Were you also with them when they missed their local amateur operatic society's production of Lerner & Loewe's classic musical Brigadoon in similar circumstances?
- Phil Reynolds
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3329
- Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:43 pm
- Location: Leamington Spa, UK
Re: Moonshine
Having now played leading roles in both, I concur. Brigadoon (or, as I prefer to think of it, "the Scottish play") is like its eponymous village: you think it's disappeared for good, but then it seems to re-emerge from the mists to terrorise innocent tourists about once every hundred years or so.Brian Moore wrote:Brigabloodydoon, if you're into tmesis and dislike the show as much as I do. I'd rather do a Full Monty anyday.